Kabul's underground water levels to drop in next few years

Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) on Sunday said currently people are using too much underground water in Kabul and if the problem is not solved, the city will face serious water shortages in the next few years.

Officials at the ministry said in addition to overuse, the lack of sewage systems has led to polluted underground water.

“There are numerous problems regarding underground water in Kabul and the problems should be addressed otherwise we will face more complicated challenges,” said Mohammad Naeem Tokhi, head of the hydrology department of the MoEW.

Ali Ahmad Osmani, minister of water and energy, meanwhile said the ministry in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will launch an artificial replenishment program for ground water resources to resolve water problems in the short-term.

“We have different plans on hand to replenish Kabul underground water. You know that in the past the population was less and that less water was used, but now more people have come to Kabul and use more water,” he said.

Officials at the Asian Development Bank also said they will support MoEW plans to maintain underground water levels.

“It is important that we do have a strong relationship and a lot of partners involved with this project and that they only work together to provide support,”Thomas Panella, ADB country director said.

One factor of the Afghan conflict is the Afghan government's failure to maintain a balance in its foreign policy. The imbalanced foreign policies of governments have paved the ground for Afghanistan to turn into a battlefield of proxy wars.